Sliding window assemblies are known in the art. A conventional sliding window assembly for a vehicle includes a first fixed panel and a second fixed panel. Each of the first and second fixed panels are configured to be coupled to the vehicle. The first and second fixed panels are spaced from one another to define an aperture there between. A sliding panel is movable relative to the first and second fixed panels between a closed position for covering the aperture, an open position for uncovering the aperture, and an intermediate position between the open and closed positions.
The conventional sliding window assembly further includes an upper track and a lower track spaced from the upper track. Each of the tracks are coupled to the first and second fixed panels and are spaced from a periphery of the fixed panel. The sliding panel is slidable along the tracks between the open, intermediate, and closed positions. A decorative element such as a pair of decorative panels, generally known as appliqués, or encapsulation material are typically coupled to each of the lower and upper tracks within the aperture defined by the first and second fixed panels. The decorative element screens and obscures the lower and upper tracks so that the tracks are not visible, when the conventional sliding window assembly is viewed from an exterior of the vehicle. When the encapsulation material is used, it may be flush with the fixed panels or it may be recessed from the fixed panels. Because the tracks are spaced from the periphery of the fixed panels, the decorative element obscures a portion of the sliding panel. The obstruction of the sliding panel results in the sliding panel appearing to be a different height then the fixed panels when the conventional sliding window assembly is viewed from the exterior of the vehicle. The height difference between the sliding panel and the fixed panel is not aesthetically pleasing and makes the conventional sliding window assembly appear uneven. Additionally, the decorative element increases a cost to manufacture the conventional sliding window assembly. Furthermore, the decorative element reduces a viewing area through the conventional siding window assembly.
One attempt to increase the viewing area is to modify the conventional sliding window assembly with a track and pin system. The track and pin system includes a plurality of pins that are coupled to the sliding panel. A pair of tracks define intricate pathways for guiding the pins, and therefore the sliding panel, between the open and closed positions. When the sliding panel of the modified sliding window assembly is in the closed position, the sliding panel and the fixed panels appear to be the same height. However, unlike the conventional sliding window assembly described above, the tracks of the modified sliding window assembly are not coupled to the fixed panels. Instead, the tracks are each coupled to intermediate frame members, which are located above and below the fixed panels. Therefore, one of the tracks is located above the fixed panels and the other one of the tracks is located below the fixed panels. Having the tracks located above and below the fixed panels gives the modified sliding window assembly a thicker cross-section which is harder to install on the vehicle and is undesirable. Additionally, the sliding panel is never disposed within the tracks and therefore relies on the pins engagement of the tracks to secure the sliding panel within the sliding window assembly. Therefore, the sliding panel of the modified sliding window assembly is not retained as securely within the tracks as a sliding panel of the conventional sliding window assembly which uses the appliqués as described above. Additionally, manufacturing intricate pathways in the tracks can be difficult to ensure proper alignment within the sliding window assembly. If the pins are not properly aligned within the tracks, this can cause the pins to wear prematurely or even fail, requiring that the sliding window assembly be replaced.
Another attempt to increase the viewing area is to modify the conventional sliding window assembly by utilizing a single fixed panel to replace the first and second fixed panels. The single fixed panel defines the aperture therein such that the single fixed panel surrounds the aperture on all sides of the aperture. Because the single fixed panel defines the aperture, there is a glass segment above and below the sliding panel adjacent the aperture. The glass segment covers a portion of the sliding panel such that the sliding panel does not appear to be the same height as the fixed panel, i.e., the sliding panel and the fixed panels do not appear to have a common glass height when viewed from an exterior of the vehicle. Typically, the aperture is formed through complex manufacturing techniques, such as, by drilling and/or cutting through the single fixed panel of the sliding window assembly. However, drilling and/or cutting through the single fixed panel of the sliding window assembly is difficult and the single fixed panel tends to break, resulting in scrapped single fixed panels and thus increased cost to produce the single fixed panel. The step of drilling and/or cutting also increases the cost to produce the single fixed panel compared to sliding window assemblies utilizing two fixed panels to define the aperture.
Additionally, the utilization of either the decorative element or the single fixed panel, as described above, prevents the sliding panel and the fixed panels from having the common glass height when the sliding window assembly is viewed from the exterior of the vehicle. More specifically, the decorative element or the glass segment each result in a visible horizontal style line, which are not aligned with style lines between the fixed panels and the vehicle. Therefore, the visible horizontal style line of the decorative element or the glass segment breaks up the height of the sliding panel. As such, the visible horizontal style line prevents the sliding panel and the fixed panel from appearing to have the common glass height. Therefore, there remains an opportunity to design an improved sliding window assembly.